HRC Funding for the health of New Zealanders

Millions of dollars are being invested into the health of  New Zealander’s through the government funding body, the Health Research Council.

This week the Health Research Council (HRC) announced the recipients of funding from the latest funding round. A grand total of $65.2 million worth of funding for 51 studies was allocated to researchers from universities, research institutes and District Health Boards.

The HRC is the Crown agency responsible for administering the New Zealand Government’s investment in health research.

Projects funded include:

  • Research into NZ’s top killers, cardiovascular disease and cancer
  • Research which will tackle obesity and diabetes in New Zealand.
  • New research in the war on infectious diseases
  • The impact of cell phone use on children
  • Research into the life-long consequences for the 8,000 New Zealanders each year who are born small, due to restricted growth in the womb or premature birth.

A full list of funded projects can found on the HRC website.

Examples of ongoing media coverage include:

Stuff.co.nz: Effects of cellphone use on children studied

TVNZ News: Researchers to study effects of cellphones on children

Radio New Zealand: Asthma prevention measure sought

NZCity News: NZ University’s brain damage research awarded $5m

Waikato Times: $1.1m for ethics study

3 News: Baby brain injury research amongst projects for funding boost

Radio New Zealand: Research to explore storage of Maori tissue